Samsung Galaxy Tablet Coming In September 202
adeelarshad82 writes "The rumors are now reality, Samsung showed the world its first glimpse of the Samsung Galaxy Tab, the company's new 7-inch tablet. Samsung Mobile will release more information about the Galaxy Tab on September 2 in advance of IFA Berlin 2010. Tab will run on Android 2.2 and feature full Web-browsing and video calling. The information given by the company implied that the Galaxy Tab will sport an HD screen for video, Flash support, support for e-books, possible GPS navigation, and PC linking."
Possible GPS navigation? (Score:4, Insightful)
I had to laugh at the "Possible GPS navigation" part, since they couldn't even get the GPS to work properly on their Galaxy S line of phones. What makes them think they can make it work properly on the tablet?
The GPS problem on the Galaxy S line has been known for over a month (and acknowledged by Samsung, even) and yet there's no fix for it. I mean, it's not like it's a minor problem with the GPS... the GPS just does not work on most phones, and some even will kill your GSM connection all together periodically.
Possible GPS navigation my arse! How about making a working GPS on a phone before trying to put it on a tablet. Other phone manufacturers have been able to put working GPS units in their phones for years. One would think Samsung might have tested this out before releasing a flagship line of phones.
Re:Lawsuits or not, it's sort-of Linux and Java (Score:3, Insightful)
I believe that the implication is that you can watch HD videos on the screen. It is also possible that you could have a device with an HD screen, but not the capability to watch HD movies.
Re:Possible GPS navigation? (Score:1, Insightful)
There is a temp fix out there. Some manual changes and it works by going thru one of Google's servers instead of Samsung's. So it is a small drawback. I'm sure they will get it fixed. Maybe it is an issue in Android 2.1 and not 2.2? But GPS isn't everything. What matters is that Apple is finally starting to get some real competition.
Re:Lawsuits or not, it's sort-of Linux and Java (Score:5, Insightful)
What does this do for Linux? About as much as TiVo did with it's "Linux system... on prime shelf space"... actually the real analogy here is probably iOS and Mach... I mean, it's so awesome and powerful right? Well, you have to root/jailbreak it first (assuming the device doesn't have an anti-tamper)... and that's getting harder with each new release.
In reality, it's just another consumer device and runs a popular OS which is hackable, that has a DRM-locked marketplace... notice I didn't say anything about Linux or Java... Neither does Samsung.
Re:Possible GPS navigation? (Score:2, Insightful)
What matters is that Apple is finally starting to get some real competition.
I lost count of the number of times I heard that about the iPod...
Re:Size does matter (Score:5, Insightful)
If they made a wi-fi only, no-phone (think iPod Touch) version of this and sold it for $199 ($150 on Woot!) they'd sell a zillion of these things.
I don't want another device for making calls and costs me $40 per month in connect fees. I want a good wi-fi tablet that runs real Android and doesn't cost $500.
If I can buy an 8gig iPod touch for $129 (refurb), than I should be able to buy a 7" iPod Touch for about $200. I need it to read PDFs, access Wi-Fi for email and Internet, and play a few games. Why is that so effing hard?
Re:So...? (Score:3, Insightful)
A tablet.
Some people prefer a 7" tablet (I am one). That is also why Apple is rumored to be producing one too.
For my self a 10" one seems silly. It's not big enough to use a have a good keyboard and carrying an external one defeats the purpose. It's heavy and bulky - it isn't going into a pocket or be carried on a plane comfortably either. Add inn all the issues with it having a fairly stripped down OS and hardware so I can't do much more than watch a movie or browse the web and it is worthless to me.
7" is perfect - those "flaws" are OK due to the increased portability (minimal OS/software stack and hardware) and when I want to do some "serious" note taking I'll take a netbook - or even better a notebook - any day of the week. Any smaller than a 7" and I start into eye strain for any extended viewing. Plus it is small enough to fit into some pockets/pouches and definitely small enough to easily carry around no matter what yet large enough to not get eye strain.
But then that is why there are several form factors too - not everyone likes the same thing and those that prefer a 7" or a 10" are not stupid because they do. Personally I would say someone who is confused if this is a phone or not fits that bill better.
Re:Lawsuits or not, it's sort-of Linux and Java (Score:3, Insightful)
Will anyone but a handful of nerds know or even care?
LCD (Score:3, Insightful)
If the display is half as good as my old Series 5 LCD TV, I'll be buying one as soon as they are available.
Blu-Ray's crappiness comes from Sony, who determine how other manufacturers can implement the spec.
Re:iPhone4 is $299 retail (32GB model) (Score:4, Insightful)
Really? Where can I pick up an iPhone 4 for under $300 retail?
Anywhere that sells one? That is the price. for the highest end one no less, the 32GB model.
I'm going to carry a phone regardless of whether I have an iPod Touch or not..
The iPhone price is with a two year contract, but since you said you are going to carry a phone regardless, that is irrelevant. Not to mention that now with the 256MB plan the iPhone is the cheapest smart phone to own - I use the device heavily and almost never cross that amount, because I'm around a lot of WiFi.
Or of course you could get a Touch and something like a MiFi and just use Skype on the Touch.
since I can now replace the iPod Touch with a Galaxy S and lose zero functionality
Only if you don't consider the potential loss of almost a hundred thousand applications a drop in functionality. I would, but then I am a practical person who likes to consider what a device can do for me instead of just supporting a handset maker because I like them.
$299 with a contract is NOT retail. It's subsidized. Retail is the specification. You won't find an iPhone 4 32GB for less than around $800 retail (and that's considering eBay retail).
How do you figure the 256MB plan makes the iPhone the cheapest smart phone to own? AT&T's prices are through the roof. My T-Mobile contract is about 30% less than any AT&T contract AND I have unlimited data (or if there's a cap, I've never reached it).
I don't consider the loss of almost 100,000 applications that are completely useless to be a great loss. 95% of the apps on the iPhone/iPod are complete junk (same goes for Android as well). So giving the total number of apps is a meaningless figure. The amount of USEFUL apps on Apple and Android are about the same.
So you claim to be a practical person who likes to consider what a device can do for you instead of just supporting a handset maker because I like them and then go on to defend Apple? I'm not sure how you reconcile that. The iPhone is demonstrably inferior in most categories to the Galaxy S, yet you support them, and support them with either false information (retail price) or meaningless statistics (total number of apps).
So I would have to pay $700 for lesser hardware, clunky UI, vendor lock in, reduced functionality if I wanted to switch (US) carriers and/or be forced into an exceptionally overpriced, limited contract for an iPhone... or pay $350 - $400 for superior hardware, modern UI, open source/no vendor lock in, unlocked for international use AND have a US phone contract that is 30% less than AT&T for the same or superior data transfer limits. Let me think which is a better deal here... I dunno, you tell me.
Cost breakdown:
Monthly recurring:
$185 / mo minimum from AT & T for similar plan
$135 / mo minimum from T - Mobile for similar plan
Hardware cost, subsidized:
$199 - AT & T
$149 - T - Mobile
Hardware cost, retail:
$700 - iPhone 4
$350 - Galaxy S
So $50 a month less and save $350 up front for superior hardware and UI or twice the up front cost and $50 more a month for inferior hardware and UI.
Not really a hard decision there, unless your an Apple Fanboy.
For the record, if you read my other posts in this thread, you'll see I'm not a Samsung fanboy - I think they have crap quality control and exceptionally poor handling of defect issues (then again, so does Apple). They just happened to have made the best Android based smartphone out at the moment, and it's the best by a HUGE margin, not just a little bit. It has leapfrogged every other Android phone out there and leapfrogged the iPhone 4 as well.
Re:wow (Score:2, Insightful)